The townhouses are part of a mixed-use community that will include a variety of shops and eateries.

Caption

The townhouses are part of a mixed-use community that will include a variety of shops and eateries.

The Villages at Dakota Crossing development is attracting a diverse mix of residents who relish the rare chance to buy a newly built townhouse in Northeast Washington.Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post

The Villages at Dakota Crossing development is attracting a diverse mix of residents who relish the rare chance to buy a newly built townhouse in Northeast Washington.

Edmond Robbins and his wife Gloria, a retired couple, downsized a year ago from a much larger house on Georgia Avenue NW and say they enjoy the amenities — three bathrooms and an updated kitchen.

Jennifer and Justin McKay with Marleigh, 5, and Mason, who is on the way, just moved in. “We’re here because the idea of new construction in the city was very appealing. We didn’t want to deal with an older house, and we refused to go across the water,” she said.

And Cindy and Lee Kincaid arrived two winters ago and have made a second home here. They lived on the Eastern Shore, and Lee commuted 71 miles to Capitol Hill. When they saw this property “we made up our minds immediately,” he said. “Everything was location. It means a lot to me to be able to move without sitting in traffic.”

The Villages at Dakota Crossing are a mixed-use, low-rise residential and retail development comprising 63 acres between Bladensburg Road (Route 1) and New York Avenue (Route 50).

The community is a few minutes drive to Capitol Hill, the H Street corridor dining and entertainment district, downtown Washington and Interstates 295 and 395, and in walking distance to Fort Lincoln Park and future shops.

On a bright afternoon, two deer nibbled in the woodlands across the street from the Kincaid’s property, and Canada geese meandered on the grass. “We’ve also seen a red fox on our side lawn,” Cindy Kincaid said. “This is as rural and fun as it gets in the District.”

A home with a garage: Twenty-three acres comprise townhouses in clusters of five, six, seven and eight. Currently, 160 families live there. When complete, the complex will house 322 redbrick front units landscaped with small trees and shrubs. Ample windows, especially on corner units, make the rooms bright.

Inside the entrance is a multi-use space that can be converted into a family room, study or teen hangout. A powder room and garage are in the back. “Having a garage we can pull into is awesome,” said Jennifer McKay, an interior designer who is making an office out of the front room.

One flight up is the living room and the kitchen and dining area that opens to a deck. It’s easy to move around the kitchen, fill plates with food and carry them out to the deck to eat in the fresh air. The kitchen is also large enough for a table and chairs, a bar and stools, and a closet-sized pantry. Granite countertops are part of the luxury home package, and residents have a choice between hardwood or ceramic floors.

Another level up, along a staircase hugging the wall, are the bedrooms. The master bedroom is large with a walk-in and two smaller closets and a spacious bathroom; the second bedroom is smaller.

In some of the models, an optional attic level can be made into a bedroom loft, lounge or library.

“I enjoy the peace, quiet and feeling of the neighborhood,” Edmond Robbins said. “A lot of dog owners gather outside in the center of the street, and sometimes I go out to chat.”

As you amble down Hansberry Court across Hurston Lane and a few steps farther on across Ralph Ellison Way to Wright Terrace you realize streets are named after famous African-American authors.

Shops on the way: The community, expected to be finished in late 2015, will include 40 acres of retail and dining.

Costco Wholesale, which opened in late 2012, is the first retail tenant and an anchor. “We’re in discussions with Lowe’s about serving as the second anchor,” said Cellerino Bernadino, vice president of development and construction for the developer, Fort Lincoln New Town Corporation.

“We’ve already been to Costco often and look forward to more retail,” said Lee Kincaid.

Smaller shops, restaurants and maybe a gym will fill in the commercial acreage.

Transit: The community is roughly equidistant from two Metrorail stations on the Red line, Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood but neither is in walking distance. Bus stops are located in the adjacent Fort Lincoln neighborhood — B8 and B9 travel to the Rhode Island Metro, H6 to Brookland, B2 to Capitol Hill and Anacostia. Access is easy to Interstates 295 and 495 and Route 4, which runs to Annapolis.

A neighbor is trying to get an extension of the nearby bike trail into the community.

Features: The units have three and four levels with granite countertops, recessed lighting, and hardwood or ceramic flooring in the kitchen. They also come with rear decks and attached one- or two-car garages.

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